That's how I read it as well, the sex of the chick is determined by the hen. But I don't know that I have seen any theories of particular hens throwing a higher percentage of one or the other. I suppose if a particular hen possesses proper type and size, color, good vigor, and pleasant demeanor, I would use her in my breeding pen. If your records show her to produce a higher percentage of pullets that inherit her good qualities, bonus, and I would make her and her descendants very prominent in my breeding program.
As to female chick color being determined by the male, this is true, to a degree. Basically all chickens are silver or gold based, The base color of female chicks is determined by their father. Females carry a single base color gene. Males carry two, which can be both be gold, or both silver, or one gold and one silver(split). Female chicks inherit their single base color gene from their father, male chicks inherit one from each parent. Now that pertains to base color only. The pattern that these colors are arranged in is determined by various genetic combinations contributed equally by both parents.
Many old time breeders put a lot of stock in the theory that the hen strongly influences type, and I agree. But I don't know if I put any more emphasis on one side of the mating than the other. In almost all circumstances it is preferable to breed only from the very best stock you have available, relegating marginal hens to the eating egg flock. The possible exception here would be if your trying to bring in a new color or trait. Producing less chicks, but of better overall quality is always beneficial, more space per chick, less feed costs, and so forth.
Almost all improvement in livestock in general involved line breeding to some degree. There are several theories of rotational breeding programs to avoid problems incurred when breeding within a limited gene pool.
